The present application relates to an arrangement for preparing a liquid treatment solution for treating, e.g. developing photosensitive material.
In the field of photofinishing technologies, two types of photofinishing environments are mainly known. One of these types concerns minilabs and the other, large scale photofinishing laboratories. In the minilabs, all kinds of processing needed for the exposed film, for the exposure of the photosensitive paper and the development of the exposed photosensitive paper as well as all splicing and cutting operations necessary for the exposed and developed film and the exposed and developed photosensitive paper are dealt with in one small scale minilab. This minilab is able to process small to medium numbers of films and/or photographs.
On the other hand, large scale photofinishing laboratories are able to process a huge number of exposed films which are arranged in film batches. These film batches are processed in special high speed printer devices.
In minilabs it is useful to conduct most of the operations, if not all operations, automatically without wasting time.
Minilabs include several compartments directed to the treatment of the exposed film and several compartments directed to the treatment of the exposed photopaper. In the known minilabs as well as in the known types of large scale photofinishing laboratories, the replenishment of these compartments is not sufficiently operated automatically and some times have to be replenished, if the treating solution in the compartments is no longer useful for an acceptable result.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to improve the known arrangements by providing an arrangement for preparing a liquid treatment solution for the treatment of photosensitive material. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to propose such a new arrangement which is able to provide a fresh treatment solution without any time delay.
The solution to deal at least partially with these objects is an arrangement for preparing a liquid treatment solution for treating photosensitive material, such as photosensitive film material or photosensitive paper material, comprising: a storage container for storing said treatment solution to be fed to a development compartment of a development apparatus; a supply portion for a dry component or dry components and/or dry mixtures of components of said treatment solution; a reception container for receiving and storing a solvent, e.g. water, distilled water or the like; wherein a mixing tank is located between said supply portion, said reception container and said storage container, said parts being connected to said mixing tank.
Particularly useful and advantageous embodiments of the invention are set forth in the sub-claims.
The present invention can be used for all processes in connection with the development of photographic material, i.e. all developing, desilvering, washing and stabilizing processes, to dissolve and supply the granules of the necessary chemical components for each of the steps.
Of course, the photographic material can be a photographic film or a photographic print paper, both for color and black-and-white shots and prints.
Accordingly, the combination of different tanks and containers can be arranged for preparing not only a developer, but also a bleacher or a bleach-fixer for a desilvering step, a stabilizer for a non-water washing step and a stabilizer for a dye-stabilizing step, respectively.
Accordingly, e.g. a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material after being exposed to light, is then processed in the steps such as a series of developing, desilvering, washing and stabilizing steps. And, a silver halide black-and-white photographic light-sensitive material, after exposed to light, is then processed in the series of developing and fixing steps. In these processes, a black-and-white developer or a color developer for carrying out a developing step, a bleacher or a bleach-fixer for a desilvering step, city water or deionized water for a washing step, a stabilizer for a non-water washing step, and a stabilizer for a dye-stabilizing step, respectively.
In general, a processing device according to the invention includes for instance a developing unit, a fixing unit, a desilvering unit, a washing or stabilizing unit and a drying unit and also a means for automatically transporting a photographic light-sensitive material through each of the processing tanks or compartments.
However, for simplification in the following it is only referred to the developing of films and prints, while the invention is also related to the e.g. fixing, bleaching or whatever process.
The advantages of the present invention are based on the fact that an additional mixing tank is located between a supply portion, a reception container and a storage container, wherein said parts are connected to the mixing tank by conduits. With this new feature of the invention, it is possible to prepare a new developer solution on the basis of dry components in connection with the solvent, which will usually be water or distilled water, while, at the same time, when mixing the new liquid developer solution, unused and active liquid developer solution is available for the development compartment of a development apparatus in a minilab or in a large scale photofinishing laboratory. Correspondingly, if the fresh liquid development solution has been pumped or withdrawn from the storage container to the development compartment of the development apparatus, the prepared fresh developer solution from the mixing tank can be supplied to the storage container and, immediately afterwards, the components of the development solution can be introduced into the mixing tank to prepare a new charge of the liquid developer solution. This is in particular important if dry ingredients in the form of powder or granules have to be disoluted in the solvent, e.g. water, which takes considerable time which can delay the overall function of the respective development apparatus and, correspondingly, of the complete minilab or the complete large scale photofinishing laboratory.
It is an advantageous embodiment of the present invention that the supply portion includes at least one and in particular two or more connecting locations for connecting replaceable vessels to the arrangement according to the arrangement. The vessels are, for instance, replaceable cartridges or the like which can be placed at the connecting locations to introduce the dry component or components or mixtures of the dry components to compose the liquid developer solution. For instance, the connecting locations can include flange devices or the like in connection with a pivotable lid or similar, which can be opened after the flange device has been fixably connected to the connecting location of the supply portion. The replaceable vessels or cartridges can be protected by housings to avoid possible damaging of the cartridges which could soil or spoil the liquid developer solution.
According to an advantageous embodiment including features in accordance with the invention, the storage container includes a sensor means which is able to monitor at least one particular level of the developer solution. This particular level of the developer solution in the storage container can also be merely a signal indicating that the storage container is empty. Of course, the sensor means in the storage container can also provide a continuous measurement showing all possible levels, i.e. the full level, all intermediate levels and also the empty state of the storage container.
According to another important embodiment in accordance with the present invention the mixing tank also includes a sensor means which is to monitor at least one particular level of a solvent and/or a liquid in said tank. Also this sensor means can provide a signal when the mixing tank is empty, i.e., if the fresh developer solution has been forwarded to the storage container. On the other hand, the sensor means of the mixing tank can also provide a signal when the mixing tank has been filled with a particular amount of material to be mixed to obtain the homogeneous fresh developer solution. Of course, this sensor of the mixing tank can also issue signals for all intermediate levels between the two levels, i.e. the maximum level and the minimum level. The maximum level should be adjustable so that it is possible to change the maximum amount of developer solution to be prepared in the mixing tank.
Accordingly, also the reception container should include a sensor means capable of detecting the level of the solvent, e.g. water, distilled water, or the like, in the reception container. It is also possible to only monitor the empty state of the reception container.
The storage container is connected via a conduct to said development compartment of the development apparatus, minilab or similar. Through this condridge said developer solution can be transported. This can be realised by sucking the developer solution or by creating a pressure in the storage container. If the storage container is placed above the development compartment, it is also possible to transport the developer solution by gravity only. However, a pumping means can be operated to transport the developer solution from the storage container to the development compartment.
To initiate the transport of the developer solution from the arrangement according to the invention to the development compartment, the development compartment should include a sensor indicating, when to change said developer solution. This sensor in the developer compartment should monitor the activity of the developer solution in the development compartment. If necessary, several sensor means for monitoring the activity of the developer solution in the developer compartment can be used to provide the necessary signals to activate the change of the old developer solution in the developer compartment to the fresh developer solution from the arrangement according the invention.
In a very secure but simple embodiment, it is possible that the sensor located in the storage container issues a signal when this container is empty. This signal can activate a valve to open a passageway from the mixing tank to the storage container to replenish the storage container. The sensor means installed in the mixing tank can also release a signal when the mixing tank is empty so that a valve is opened to replenish the mixing tank, if necessary, via a pump or the like, containing the solvent which has been supplied from the reception container. At the same, time the signal emitted by the sensor means of the mixing tank can also activate, i.e. open, the supply portion and the respective connecting locations of the supply portion. Afterwards, when the mixing tank has been filled to a certain level with the solvent and the dry components or mixtures from the supply portion and the replaceable vessels or cartridges respectively, the supply portion can be closed and the valve and/or pump can be controlled to stop feeding the solvent. At the same time or somewhat later a mixing device can be activated to support the dissolution process which takes place in the mixing tank. The mixing device can be, for instance, a stirring device or a loop-like convict with the pumping means or the like which generates a continuous movement in the solvent in the mixing tank to enhance the effectiveness of the dissolution process, i.e. to speed up the dissolution process.